UPSC CSE Mains Model Questions: GS Paper 4 [30-Day AWP Compilation]

This is a compilation of the General Studies Paper 4 model questions we provided as part ClearIAS 30-day Mains Answer Writing Program(AWP) 2016.

IAS Mains Model Questions: General Studies Paper 4

Aspirants who write mains are advised to go through these questions, answers written by other candidates, and the respective feedback from ClearIAS Team.

1. ‘Doing the right thing doesn’t automatically bring success. But compromising ethics almost always leads to failure’. Explain with examples. (150 words – 10 marks)
2. Can ethics and diplomacy go together in International relations? Discuss with examples. (150 words – 10 marks)
3. ‘Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people who we personally dislike’. Critically analyse the statement. (150 words – 10 marks)
4. ‘Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.’ Do you agree with this statement? Why is integrity considered as a core value for a civil servant?  (150 words – 10 marks)
5. India’s economy has grown rapidly in recent years, but the country’s bureaucratic quality is widely perceived to be either stagnant or in decline. Analyse why our bureaucracy fails. Suggest measures to improve the quality of Indian bureaucracy. (250 words – 20 marks)
6. Given below are two quotations of great moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of these quotations, bring out what it means to you in the present context:  (a) Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. (b) A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world. (each quote for 10 marks and 150 words=total 20 marks)
7. ‘Do what is right and not what is easy’. Comment. (150 words – 10 marks)
8. What is the difference between moral and political attitude? Give examples. (150 words – 10 marks)
9. Can emotional intelligence be applied in administration and governance? Discuss with examples. (150 words – 10 marks)
10. Discuss any four qualities that make a great leader. Elaborate any instance where you demonstrated your leadership skills. (150 words – 10 marks)
11. What do you mean by moral crisis? Explain with examples. Is there moral crisis in 21st century India? (150 words – 10 marks)
12. What is the difference between moral crisis and ethical dilemma? Explain with examples. (150 words – 10 marks)
13. ‘Sometimes doing what’s ethical comes at a personal cost’. Do you think so? Explain. (150 words – 10 marks)
14. ‘A positive attitude toward maintaining high standards for work ethics usually creates a productive environment’. Comment.  (150 words – 10 marks)
15. Suppose you are appointed as the collector of an urban district with severe space constraints. What practical steps would you take to solve the waste management problem? Prioritize your actions and elaborate with reasons. (250 words – 20 marks)
16. What are the ethical implications of global climate change? (150 words – 10 marks
17. Can a thing which is moral be unethical? Discuss. (150 words – 10 marks)
18. What is probity? What is the role of family in inculcating values like honesty and probity in children? (150 words – 10 marks)
19. What is relation of attitude with thought and behaviour? Briefly discuss how attitudinal problems of civil servants affect the quality of public service delivery. (150 words – 10 marks)
20. Name a leader/administrator you consider as role model. What are the lessons from the lives and teachings of him/her? (150 words – 10 marks)
21. Distinguish between ethical relativism with ethical universalism with examples. (150 words – 10 marks)
22. Many people want there to be a single right answer to ethical questions. But ethics can give several answers. Comment. (150 words – 10 marks)
23. ‘Courage is knowing what not to fear’. Comment. (150 words – 10 marks) What do you mean by bioethics? Why is it important to study? Discuss any one issue from the point of view of bioethics. (150 words – 10 marks)
24. What do you mean by bioethics? Why is it important to study? Discuss any one issue from the point of view of bioethics. (150 words – 10 marks)
25. Can any war be ‘just’? When is it right to wage war? What is the moral way to conduct a war? Discuss. (150 words – 10 marks)
26. As a future public servant, what are your novel ideas for proper utilization of public funds? Discuss. (150 words – 10 marks)
27. The importance of the RTI Act can never be overstated. There are, however, some problems with the RTI Act and its implementation. Discuss. (150 words – 10 marks)
28. You are appointed as District collector in a drought prone district. In case of a major fire accident in your district, list the step of actions you would take on a priority basis. (250 words – 20 marks)
29. Ethics differ in public and private relationships. Comment. (150 words – 10 marks)
30. ‘Great men are almost always bad men’. Comment. (150 words – 10 marks)

Practice Full Length UPSC Mains Mock Tests – GS4

Please go through Clear IAS Mains Full Length Free Mock Test Series – 4 (GS4) and see how ClearIAS mock questions helped our online students in the actual UPSC main exam.

How to download the compilation of mock questions?

Every note published in ClearIAS.com has a print-pdf button attached at the post-bottom and at the left-margin. Alternatively, you can use the website ‘printfriendly.com’ to enter the URL of any posts in ClearIAS.com to download a clean, reader-friendly PDF.